Season of television series
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| Law & Order | |
|---|---|
| Season 10 | |
 Season 10 U.S. DVD cover | |
| No. of episodes | 24 |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | September 22, 1999 (1999-09-22) – May 24, 2000 (2000-05-24) |
| Season chronology | |
| ← Previous Season 9 Next → Season 11 | |
| List of episodes | |
The tenth season of Law & Order premiered on NBC, September 22, 1999 alongside Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and ended May 24, 2000. Executive Producers René Balcer and Ed Sherin both left the show at the end of the season. This is the final season to feature Steven Hill as Adam Schiff, who was the last original cast member.
Cast
This is the first season to feature Ed Green (played by Jesse L. Martin) who replaced seasons 6–9's Rey Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) in the role of junior detective. This season marked the first Law & Order spinoff, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Law & Order: SVU), which features Dann Florek reprising his role of Captain Donald Cragen from the first three seasons of Law & Order. Florek/Cragen appears in both parts of a two-part crossover between the two shows this season, and four other Law & Order: SVU characters appear in episodes of the original series over this season. Steven Hill, who played Adam Schiff, left the series at the end of the 10th season.
Main cast
- Jerry Orbach as Senior Detective Lennie Briscoe
- Jesse L. Martin as Junior Detective Ed Green
- S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
- Sam Waterston as Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy
- Angie Harmon as Assistant District Attorney Abbie Carmichael
- Steven Hill as District Attorney Adam Schiff
Recurring cast
- Dann Florek as Captain Don Cragen
- Carey Lowell as Defense Attorney Jamie Ross
- Carolyn McCormick as Dr. Elizabeth Olivet
- J. K. Simmons as Dr. Emil Skoda
Crossover Stars from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
- Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler
- Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
- Richard Belzer as Detective John Munch
- Michelle Hurd as Detective Monique Jeffries
- Dann Florek as Captain Don Cragen
Departure of Steven Hill
Steven Hill, who played Adam Schiff, was the last first-season member to leave the series; he left at the end of this 10th season and was replaced by Dianne Wiest.
Episodes
See also: List of Law & Order episodes| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 206 | 1 | "Gunshow" | Ed Sherin | René Balcer | September 22, 1999 (1999-09-22) | E1106 | 18.63 |
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A murderer's shooting spree of female medical school students in Central Park prompts Briscoe and his new partner, Detective Ed Green, to trace the murder weapon's origin; McCoy makes it his mission to punish both the killer and the gun manufacturer.
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| 207 | 2 | "Killerz" | Constantine Makris | Richard Sweren | September 29, 1999 (1999-09-29) | E1103 | 18.66 |
|
Briscoe and Green believe a 10-year-old is responsible for a child's death, and McCoy wants her isolated to stop any future fatalities.
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| 208 | 3 | "DNR" | David Platt | S : William N. Fordes; T : Kathy McCormick | October 6, 1999 (1999-10-06) | E1109 | 17.90 |
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As Briscoe and Green investigate the shooting of Denise Grobman a judge, suspicion quickly points to her husband Walter as the person who ordered the hit, but McCoy's case is hindered when she refuses to implicate her husband during the trial.
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| 209 | 4 | "Merger" | Stephen Wertimer | Lynn Mamet | October 13, 1999 (1999-10-13) | E1101 | 16.84 |
| The murder of Christie Garrison a drug-laden teen presents Briscoe and Green with a host of suspects from her wealthy family. | |||||||
| 210 | 5 | "Justice" | Matthew Penn | S : William N. Fordes; S/T : Gerry Conway | November 10, 1999 (1999-11-10) | E1104 | 17.70 |
| After the murder of Martin Felder a lawyer, McCoy finds himself on the opposite side of the courtroom from his former colleague, Jamie Ross, when she defends a man who claims to have key evidence that could put to death a man McCoy believes was wrongly convicted. | |||||||
| 211 | 6 | "Marathon" | Jace Alexander | Richard Sweren & Matt Witten | November 17, 1999 (1999-11-17) | E1105 | 17.69 |
| A frustrating investigation of Eva Harrison a purse-snatching victim who was fatally shot leads to tension between Briscoe and Green over age and racial innuendos. Briscoe notices his partner has developed a dangerous habit. | |||||||
| 212 | 7 | "Patsy" | David Platt | René Balcer & Lynne E. Litt | November 24, 1999 (1999-11-24) | E1102 | 17.64 |
| The investigation that follows the discovery of Cecilia Knowles a comatose woman in her apartment leads to an unusual case involving murder and a possible frame-up, despite the prosecution having key DNA evidence to the contrary. | |||||||
| 213 | 8 | "Blood Money" | Matthew Penn | Barry Schindel | December 1, 1999 (1999-12-01) | E1111 | 15.24 |
| A taxi driver finds that his passenger Peter Grimaldi is dead, leading the detectives to a case involving an insurance scam and Holocaust victims. | |||||||
| 214 | 9 | "Sundown" | Jace Alexander | S : William N. Fordes; S/T : Krista Vernoff | December 15, 1999 (1999-12-15) | E1107 | 19.29 |
| A patient Marjorie Hallenbeck is found beaten to death in a hospital lounge — and the resulting case involves infidelity, Alzheimer's disease, and a ladies' man. | |||||||
| 215 | 10 | "Loco Parentis" | Constantine Makris | Richard Sweren & Matt Witten | January 5, 2000 (2000-01-05) | E1115 | 18.28 |
| After sanitation workers find a teenage boy's body, the investigation leads to a school bully who displays an avid interest in martial-arts weapons, and whose father bought the murder weapon. | |||||||
| 216 | 11 | "Collision" | David Platt | S : William N. Fordes; S/T : Gerry Conway | January 26, 2000 (2000-01-26) | E1116 | 18.13 |
| The investigation of the death of Karen Brewster, a schizophrenic woman, leads to a case involving Harvey Bauer, a homeless man, and his right to refuse medication. | |||||||
| 217 | 12 | "Mother's Milk" | Richard Dobbs | Lynn Mamet & Barry Schindel | February 9, 2000 (2000-02-09) | E1110 | 18.38 |
| Bloodstains in an apartment that belonged to Amy and James Beltran a young couple with a baby leads to the separated parents, each of whom claims that the other has the infant. The baby is later found dead. | |||||||
| 218 | 13 | "Panic" | Constantine Makris | S : Kathy McCormick & Matt Witten; T : William N. Fordes & Lynn Mamet | February 16, 2000 (2000-02-16) | E1117 | 17.92 |
| Briscoe and Green investigate the shooting of Carolyn Tyler a best-selling mystery writer and the death of her accountant, with a love triangle involving the author's consulting FBI agent (Tom Berenger) as a possible motive for the crime. | |||||||
| 219 | 14 | "Entitled" | Ed Sherin | S : Dick Wolf, René Balcer & Robert Palm; T : Richard Sweren | February 18, 2000 (2000-02-18) | E1112 | 18.92 |
|
The focus of the case previously investigated in "Mayhem" (1994) returns to a politically-influential family; during the course of the trial, McCoy finds the powerful matriarch to be a formidable opponent. This is part two of a two-part episode that begins on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Guest stars Richard Belzer as John Munch; Dann Florek as Donald Cragen; Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson; Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler | |||||||
| 220 | 15 | "Fools for Love" | Christopher Misiano | Kathy McCormick & Lynne E. Litt | February 23, 2000 (2000-02-23) | E1113 | 15.11 |
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After the bodies of two teens Jane Kendrick and Annika Ohlman are found, the detectives trace their identities and learn that one of them had a sister who was traveling with the girls. Guest stars: Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson and Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler. Ellen Pompeo also guest stars. Note: Inspired by Karla Homolka, who helped rape and murder her sister and two other young girls. | |||||||
| 221 | 16 | "Trade This" | Jace Alexander | S : René Balcer; S/T : Barry Schindel | March 1, 2000 (2000-03-01) | E1118 | 18.32 |
| The murder of Sean Alvarez a stockbroker points to a coworker and supervisor (Michael Gross) involved with organized crime when a hired hit man kills the prime suspect. | |||||||
| 222 | 17 | "Black, White and Blue" | Constantine Makris | S : Richard Sweren; T : Matt Witten; S/T : Lynne E. Litt | March 22, 2000 (2000-03-22) | E1120 | 18.67 |
| The murder of Michael Tobin a young white man in Harlem sparks outrage when it is discovered that two police officers Smith and Flannery intentionally dropped him off in a known crime prone neighborhood. | |||||||
| 223 | 18 | "Mega" | David Platt | Lynn Mamet & William N. Fordes | April 5, 2000 (2000-04-05) | E1121 | 17.99 |
| The investigation into a helicopter bombing points to a victim's wife and her unconventional financial adviser (Michael McKean). | |||||||
| 224 | 19 | "Surrender Dorothy" | Martha Mitchell | Barry Schindel & Matt Witten | April 26, 2000 (2000-04-26) | E1125 | 18.46 |
| The body of Dorothy Graham a teacher, suspected of having an affair, is found in a car trunk and the investigation involves her husband and father-in-law, both of whom are psychiatrists. | |||||||
| 225 | 20 | "Untitled" | Jace Alexander | S : Richard Sweren; S/T : Barry M. Schkolnick | May 3, 2000 (2000-05-03) | E1124 | 16.42 |
| A wealthy woman Lucy Young, a patron of the arts, is found dead in her apartment and the ensuing investigation leads to a suspect whose violence was spurred by a painting similar to the crime scene. | |||||||
| 226 | 21 | "Narcosis" | Constantine Makris | Kathy McCormick & Lynne E. Litt | May 10, 2000 (2000-05-10) | E1123 | 18.64 |
| The discovery of Lorraine Shelby a strangled prostitute's body leads to a case involving illegal immigrants and a family grappling with internet addiction. | |||||||
| 227 | 22 | "High & Low" | Richard Dobbs | S : William N. Fordes; S/T : Gerry Conway | May 17, 2000 (2000-05-17) | E1122 | 17.49 |
| Detectives Briscoe and Green probe the strangulation of Leslie Cavanaugh, a college student who moonlighted as a stripper, and while they believe a pair of drug-dealing skinheads committed the murder, they struggle to determine the motive of the strip club owner who paid them for the hit. However, as they work their way up the ladder of complicity, the cops learn that the slaying is keyed to an insider trading scam that forces McCoy to connect a former porn star with a businessman. | |||||||
| 228 | 23 | "Stiff" | Jace Alexander | S : René Balcer; S/T : Hall Powell | May 24, 2000 (2000-05-24) | E1119 | 15.12 |
| The detectives' investigation into why a wealthy woman is comatose involves her husband, daughter, and doctor (John Slattery). | |||||||
| 229 | 24 | "Vaya Con Dios" | Christopher Misiano | René Balcer & Richard Sweren | May 24, 2000 (2000-05-24) | E1108 | 19.48 |
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The death of an elderly man trying to find who was responsible for the torture-killing of his son in Chile in 1973 leads to a former high-ranking Chilean Army officer who is in New York receiving cancer treatments at a Manhattan hospital.
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Notes
 | This section contains a list of miscellaneous information. Please relocate any relevant information into other sections or articles. (May 2022) |
- Jesse L. Martin joins the cast as Det. Ed Green in this season.
- This is the final season to feature Steven Hill as Adam Schiff. Hill was the last original cast member to leave the series.
- The Law & Order spinoff, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, debuted at the time of this season.
- This season features all five of the series' longest serving characters: Anita Van Buren (17 seasons), Jack McCoy (16 seasons), Lennie Briscoe (12 seasons), Adam Schiff (10 seasons) and Ed Green (9 seasons). Additionally, one member of the original cast of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Mariska Hargitay), who remains on the show to date, appears in the episode 'Entitled.' Christopher Meloni departed SVU in 2011, Richard Belzer in 2013, and Dann Florek in 2014.
- "Entitled," episode 219, is a continuation of an SVU episode of the same name.
- Adrienne Shelly guest-starred in the episode of 'Law & Order titled "High & Low" Season 10 in which she portrayed the character Wendy Alston. Shelly herself would later be murdered, which inspired the episode 'Melting Pot' Season 17.
References
- Rogers, Abby (March 21, 2012). "15 True Stories That Inspired Your Favorite 'Law & Order' Episodes". Business Insider. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- "National Nielsen Viewership (Sept. 20–26)". The Los Angeles Times. September 29, 1999. Retrieved October 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "National Nielsen Viewership (Sept. 27–Oct. 3)". The Los Angeles Times. October 6, 1999. Retrieved October 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 4-10)". The Los Angeles Times. October 13, 1999. Retrieved October 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Prime-Time TV Rankings". The Los Angeles Times. October 20, 1999. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
- "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 8-14)". The Los Angeles Times. November 17, 1999. Retrieved October 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Clipped from the Los Angeles Times". The Los Angeles Times. November 24, 1999. p. 178.
- "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 22-28)". The Los Angeles Times. December 1, 1999. Retrieved October 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Dateline: Week Of December 8, 1999 In News, Pop Culture, Tech, Celebrity, Entertainment & Fascinating Facts". Mr. Pop Culture. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
- "Clipped from the Los Angeles Times". The Los Angeles Times. December 22, 1999. p. 103.
- "Dateline: Week Of January 8, 2000 In News, Pop Culture, Tech, Celebrity, Entertainment & Fascinating Facts". Mr. Pop Culture. Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 24-30)". The Los Angeles Times. February 2, 2000. Retrieved October 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Dateline: Week Of February 15, 2000 In News, Pop, Celebrity, Entertainment, Music, Tech & Fascinating Facts". Mr. Pop Culture. Archived from the original on October 14, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 14-20)". The Los Angeles Times. February 24, 2000. Retrieved October 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Bernardo murders inspire Law & Order episode". CBC News. November 10, 1999. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 21-27)". The Los Angeles Times. March 1, 2000. Retrieved January 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 28-March 5)". The Los Angeles Times. March 8, 2000. Retrieved October 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Dateline: Week Of March 22, 2000 In News, Pop, Celebrity, Entertainment, Music, Tech & Fascinating Facts". Mr. Pop Culture. Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- "Dateline: Week Of April 8, 2000 In News, Pop Culture, Tech, Celebrity, Entertainment & Fascinating Facts". Mr. Pop Culture. Archived from the original on October 14, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
- "National Nielsen Viewership (April 24–30)". The Los Angeles Times. May 3, 2000. Retrieved January 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Top 20 Network Primetime Report". Zap2it. Archived from the original on August 19, 2000. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
- "Top 20 Network Primetime Report". Zap2it. Archived from the original on August 19, 2000. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
- "National Nielsen Viewership (May 15–21)". The Los Angeles Times. May 24, 2000. Retrieved January 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Top 20 Network Primetime Report". Zap2it. Archived from the original on August 16, 2001. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
External links
| Law & Order | |||||
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| Characters |
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| Seasons | |||||
| Episodes | |||||
| Television film | |||||
| Preceded by Season Nine (1998-1999) |
List of Law & Order seasons (1990-2010) |
Succeeded by Season Eleven (2000-2001) |